1. Former Saturday Night Live actor Don Novello, who was on SNL in the late 70s and early 80s (about the time that Eddie Murphy and Joe Piscopo were on there), is the brother-in-law of former Surgeon General Antonia Novello. Antonia Novello was the first Hispanic and the first woman to hold the post (from 1990-1993)
2. The actress who played the woman who made "I've fallen and I can't get up!" a household catchprase in the LifeCall (now LifeAlert) commercial was a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer.
(Incidentally, the most well-known Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, is currently a spokesman for LifeAlert.)
3. Anson Williams, who played Potsie Weber on Happy Days, is the nephew of Dr. Henry Heimlich, who developed the Heimlich Maneuver.
Tim
4. The following celebrities were either born, raised, or lived within 10 miles of where I am currently living:
Actor Gary Busey (born in Baytown)
Baseball player Andy Pettite (from Deer Park)
Country singer Mickey Gilley (lived in Pasadena)
Comedian Ron White, from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour (raised in Pasadena and Deer Park)
5. Dr. Phil received his bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University, the college I will be attending this fall. (he received his graduate degrees at the University of North Texas, in Denton).
6. Much of the movie Urban Cowboy was filmed in the neighborhood that I grew up in. (I was an infant when the movie came out).
Tim
7. Les Moonves, the CEO of CBS, is a descendant of David Ben-Gurion, the first leader of independent Israel.
8. Actor Robert Duvall is a direct descendant of Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general.
9. Wichita Falls, the town where I will be attending college, is not very far from Archer City, Texas, where the movie "The Last Picture Show" and its sequel "Texasville" were filmed.
10. The town of Elmore City, Oklahoma was the inspiration for Bomont, the town from the movie Footloose.
There was a deadly car accident in Elmore City back in 1978, which had apparently been attributed to teens drinking and partying. As a result, strict moral codes were enforced in the town, much like they were in the movie.
11. In addition to being the only two current governors born outside the U.S. (and thus ineligible for the presidency)...
...Arnold Schwarzenegger (California) and Jennifer Granholm (Michigan) were both contestants on the Dating Game.
Tim
Although I am sure some of you on here may know this one...
Sacha Baron-Cohen, best known for playing Borat, is the cousin of Simon Baron-Cohen, the autism expert.
Tim